[media-credit name=”Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”291″]
[/media-credit]There are many experts out there, some who are actually the real deal. When it comes to motorsport racing, I’m no expert but I have been a paid chronicler of events much of my life. An expert observer, one might say. There are times what I see bores the hell out of me, that causes me to hit the double time, or triple time, on my PVR. Sometimes I wish life came with a PVR. Talladega is not one of those times.
Talladega was made for television, each shot providing excitement as we view the 200 mph action, cars inches apart, disaster being averted, and sometimes not, with each lap. We saw Brad Keselowski claim another one on the big track by shaking off his pusher/pursuer Kyle Busch coming off the final turn. Busch lost momentum, Keselowski won the race.
Cars came and went, as they moved from the back of the lead pack to the front and back again. Cars a lap down came back to the lead lap to challenge once they returned. It was hot in Alabama on Sunday, and so were some of the parts under the hood as a few let go to ruin the hopes of more than a few. The cars ran fast, looked fast from our living room vantage point, and removed any confusion as to why we were sitting on the couch and those gentlemen were behind the wheel. If every race from every track could be televised to give you the same sensation, the same visual stimulation that Talladega provides, this sport would be even more popular.
Jeff Gordon would love to be in a race where he can actually finish, and finish on the lead lap, even win. On Sunday, the four time champ got caught up in a wreck, was 33rd on the day, and for the seventh time in ten tries was not a lead lap car at the end. In 1993, his first full season, Gordon finished 14th. In 2005, he was 11th. Every other year he has been in the top ten over the season after November. Today he sits 23rd, 70 points or a couple of wins out of a Chase spot. Ryan Newman is also on the outside, but he could be back with one solid weekend.
Maybe that will come in Darlington this Saturday night. The Lady in Black, the home of both the Southern 500 and the Darlington stripe. It a track that has been hosting Cup events since 1950, hosts one of the sport’s crown jewel events, and one that usually provides some entertaining action. Same can be said about Charlotte, that hosts both the all-star race and the Coca-Cola 600 later in May. I think my PVR is going to rest this month.
As for June, well, at least enjoy the upcoming week.
